The 12 Kittens of Christmas

by Amy Lane

Killian Thornton likes his downtown life, tending bar, and enjoying time with his friends and community. He'd given up on passion long ago—he wasn't cut out for grand romance or dramatic gestures. Then one night, in a characteristic act of kindness, Killian offers his couch to help a friend's little brother find his feet in a new city, and everything Killian thought he knew about himself and his little life gets turned upside down.

Lewis Bernard, the funny, quirky guy happy to find a spot on Killian's couch, can’t believe his luck. After being forced to flee his parents’ house, he was afraid of what came next, but Sacramento seems to be treating him just fine. The stunningly handsome bartender who lives downstairs from his brother offers Lewis his couch and doesn’t even balk when Lewis discovers two abandoned kittens in a vacant lot as they walk home.

Vet bills, cat food bills, litter boxes—none of it was on Killian's Christmas agenda, but he jumps in gamely to help because all the shelters seem to be full, and that's just the kind of guy Killian is. But kittens can multiply faster than rabbits, and Killian and Lewis accidentally rescue more and more cats.

Lewis starts to panic. He really wants to know Killian better, but with each act of kindness, Lewis falls further in love while ruining Killian's life. How can Killian find time to fall in love with Lewis and ask him to stay if they’re inundated with destructive furry poop-machines who all seem to need a home before Christmas?

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Christmas, Contemporary, Holiday, LGBT, Cats

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 28, 2023

About the author

Amy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.

Reviews

[~Nicole~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely ADORABLE. Really really cute, the cats were actually beyond adorable and I loved the guys so so much too. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this book, on the contrary, yet at 50% when they got together I lost all my interest. They got together so easily, so naturally and they were so perfect and good to and for each other that I don’t even know what is the point of the other 50% of the book. This should have been a short Christmas read, it was light and sweet and excellently written because Amy Lane but there were way too many pages for such a simple story. I’m currently leaving it at 50% but I will probably finish it (eventually) because ..have I mentioned adorable cats??? 😍

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are considering reading this book, you should definitely be a cat lover. Goodness so many kittens. 🤩
This is a super fluffy book and how shall I put it, very mundane? I actually read books to escape reality. This one made me stay in the present. Everything was somehow so real and normal. Don't misunderstand, this is not a criticism, just a hint. I enjoyed reading the book and really liked the MCs. There was just something missing.
Killian and Lewis are absolutely adorable. I really love them and their insecurities and their interactions.

He’d startled awake at least three times the night before, beset by the urgent need to do something important, only to realize that the important thing he’d forgotten to do had been to tell Lewis that Killian’s heart was fully engaged. Don’t leave. Don’t move out. Being with you is the single most passionate thing I’ve ever done. Please stay with me until you can’t stand me anymore. Please. 😍🫠🥰

And the writing is absolutely wonderful.
If Killian looked at Lewis and saw the feckless kid who had saddled him with four food-guzzling, time-sucking crap machines, the romance of the century Lewis had been envisioning had just died a tragic, cat-litter-scented death. 😂

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

12 Kittens for Christmas by Amy Lane
Contemporary M-M holiday romance.
Killian Thornton loves Sacramento. The neighborhood, his friendships, his workplace. His last relationship was a while ago and he’s a little lonely but he’s ok with that. When Lewis gets locked out of his brother’s apartment for the night, Killian offers his couch. When two kittens are suddenly part of the overnight stay, Killian is able to adapt and welcome the commotion and company. Vet visits turns two kittens into four and Killian and Lewis are outnumbered. Working together leads to a relationship and then more cats. It’s chaos of the best kind for Killian, who is no longer lonely at Christmas.

An adorable multitude of kittens, two men looking for a relationships and a small group of friends that have the right contacts to help. It’s bustling, sexy and sentimental. A holiday love story of made family.

[Bookreader87(Amanda) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been better...

Lewis and Killian meet through Todd, the brother of Lewis. Lewis is looking for a place to stay after rushing from his hometown. He manages to land into sleeping on Killian's couch along with two kittens. Two kittens turn into four and over the course of the book they end up taking care of twelve. With the kittens the two of them become closer to eachother. Lewis moves from the couch to the bed where he burrows in and stays.

The story was sweet. Not sure I was big on the writing style. I did not really feel the connection between the two. I needed more loving. Also, note this book ends at the 84% mark. The rest is filled with shorts of characters from her other books. Wish there was an epilogue for the actual story.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet man love, and kittens? Yes please!
I really adored this.

It was so well written.
I'll definitely be reading some more books from this author.

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy story about Killian, a bartender, alone and lonely for too long, and Lewis, uprooted from his bigoted home in Texas, and lot of kittens.

Cats and Christmas, what's not to like? While this was a nice and easy read, I have to admit, twelve kittens are too much. It's becoming repetitive real quick. "Oh, look another litter box full of kittens. We just managed to find homes for the previous batch." Rinse and repeat. And that's not the only thing repetitive in this book. Killian's failed former relationship or Lewis' fear of being a freeloader or having to move out. It's up for discussion if it's actually repetitiveness or a case of dragging on. Either way, around the halfway mark I had to force myself to carry on reading.

The sex scenes were cringe. It's pretty obvious that this is a M/F romance with just the serials filed off. I usually don't mind and sometimes it's even hilarious. Sometimes not. Lewis is so heavily female coded it's hardly bearable. No gay guy would call a penis a "one-eyed monster". Not ever. And that's just the tip of the iceberg of cringiness.

The ending was abrupt at around the 85%. The rest of the ebook were just excerpts from other books and a list of easter eggs. Obviously the masses of named side characters I had to struggle with were just cameos from other stories.

Overall I liked this book, although I'm not enthusiastic about it.


P.S. The story doesn't have that much of Chrismas magic and cat shenanigans as the cute cover suggests. It's more about Killian's and Lewis' relationship and their previous relationship problems.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given to me by a wonderful elf during the 2023 Goodreads ebook gift exchange organized by Doc Heather.

Utterly adorable story about two young men who meet and through a bunch of cats and kittens (12 of them) find love and friendship and a HEA. Perfect read for the season.

[Jazer (catching up on TBRs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, slow, and fluffy. Life had been too busy and harried the last few weeks of 2023 and today's my first off day since Christmas. This quiet and lazy read involving crazy and unusual kittens was the perfect treat to start the year. 🐈🐈

Killian's such a softie and Lewis was an adorable fungus. His words not mine. 😊

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so behind on reviews that I don't even remember if I liked this or not.

I think it was.... fine?

Let's go with 3.5 stars just in case I ever want to re-read.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! As usual, Amy Lane excels at creating really good characters, including the cats and the bad guy and even the people not on-page.

FYI, this story is peripherally in the Fishverse, although you don't have to have read any of it to enjoy this incredibly good novella.

After the story and before the Dex and Kane ficklit, the author points out the Easter eggs and their sources. And then there's an excerpt from another novel.

[DJO · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Thought I would really love this but it was just okay. I didn’t connect with the plot or the characters and actually found Lewis’s internal monologue about moving in and marrying Lewis within a day or two of meeting to be pretty creepy. The kitten angle was cute but not enough to carry the story.

[Booknblues · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little lgbtq romance set in Sacramento. It has kittens in it and two darling adult cats named Boris and Natasha.

The setting is accurate with my only quibble being nobody in Ca would consider downtown Sac to Folsom too large of a commute as the book suggests.

If you are looking for a light romance for Christmas, this might be the one.

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Killian's life has not been easy. After the military he ends up tending bar. He thinks that he's a cold person, but he's not. When his neighbor's brother, Lewis, needs a place to stay for the night, Killian offers his couch. The next thing Killian knows, his life is turned upside down. He and Lewis end up with a litter of kittens with more arriving over the weeks. I liked how the relationship between Killian and Lewis grows.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, funny, insta-lovey story full of Easter eggs (which are explained after the story ends) and special moments with twelve delightful cats. Killian and Lewis fit together so well; it was nice watching them open up to each other.

[Kassu]

Yes. Give me some destructive furry poop-machines.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
There are two Amy Lanes. One is the author of darker, angsty stories. The other is the master of the light, sweet holiday story. That is the Amy Lane I love and I am excited every year to start reading holiday stories. Add in some pets and I’m there! As evidenced by the title, this book has 12 cats!
Killian is former military who had a horrific experience when he came out to his family. Luckily, he was with his crush, also from the military, and he was not near his homophobic family at the time so they couldn’t physically hurt him. Instead, they banished him, burned all this things and he’s now dead to them, other than a younger sister. So he now views himself differently, maybe as unloveable. “And loneliness was such a small price to pay for a little bit of peace.”
Killian lives in Sacramento and works at a bar, Catches, and one night sees someone who looks familiar. This is Lewis, who turns out to be the younger brother of Killian’s neighbor, Todd. For his part, Lewis is a brilliant software engineer who couldn’t get hired in Texas because of bigotry. He also had a run in with the homophobes and so off to see his brother he went.
After some conversation, Killian offers Lewis his couch for the night while his brother is busy. It is on the walk home that they find the first of the kittens. Bedraggled, tiny and homeless, they can’t leave them there. “Killian had never thought of having a cat in his home once in his entire life.” That changed quickly, as Moose and Squirrel made themselves at home in his home.
Be aware it’s pretty insta-love here. They are only together a few days when Lewis is planning weddings in his head. I was okay with it, holiday magic and all. Lewis sees Killian like no one had before, even his ex-boyfriend. “It’s unique and interesting, and nobody in your life has every expected unique and interesting from you. So you keep it to yourself, and you please yourself, and most people invited over sleep on your couch.” It’s just lovely to see Killian come to terms with himself. Killian had lived the last six years of his life believing he wasn’t the kind of person somebody could love unconditionally, madly, without reserve.” But he is that kind of person.
I did question why Todd never questioned where he was living! Although Todd is killing himself working three jobs, so that makes a difference. There are some great side characters, especially Nicky, Suzanne and Lewis’ parents. When Lewis’ mom tries to get him to stay after the whole homophobic chaos, she made me laugh. “I was the high school slut. If I didn’t let these assholes drive me out of my hometown, I know you can take it.” And dad’s response was classic.
I don’t want to spoil the other ten cats, except to say I was VERY glad when the one who tossed Boris and Natasha got what was coming to him. You’ll have to read the book to see the rest. It’s so worth it!
Another added bonus is there are Easter eggs throughout, with people from other Amy Lane books. I admit, when I saw workplace coop, I was so excited because I knew who that was going to be! If only we had gotten Adam and Finn, as well! This is a happy, sweet holiday story.

[Vfields Don't touch my happy! · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I discovered this genre Amy Lane was my “auto buy” author✍️. I remember her moving to a different direction and I lost her. Oh, how I enjoyed her writing and I’m happy to say It’s still good. I giggled at the kittens, their names and antics. The two protagonists were endearing. We didn’t obsess over the age thing, whew. They had normal hangups like paying your own way and not being pushy, yes and yes!
Okay, I’ll stop, I enjoyed this winter, holiday read. Thanks.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I'm a sucker for cats so this was always going to be a shoe in for me. But add in all of the cross over hidden popcorn bits and I'm here for it. This was a sweet little holiday story and gave me all the smiles I could want. I loved how Lewis just sort of maneuvered himself into Killian's life and made himself at home in a way that reached Killian's soul. He just quietly slid his way in and took up residence. They're a great balance and just too sweet together. Give me these kind of HEA's and kittens and I'm a happy woman.

[Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet with LOTS of guest stars

[Crystal P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. There are kittens galore and lots of cameos by beloved Amy Lane characters from other series. The two main characters are adorable and I am so happy they found each other!

[jaxnsmom · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Biblioteca Mística de Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una dulzura leer este par, además cuidan y adoptan gatitos que más puedo pedir

[Eri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and cute. It felt a bit pedantic sometimes with the number of names and people being introduced. Also, put the thesaurus down, please..... but overall, it was worth the read.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

story is cute, i did not love the writing style tbh

[Ashley Yungbluth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The 12 Kittens of Christmas" by Amy Lane was a cute read. Killian ends up letting his friend, Todd's, brother crash on his couch after he left his home to get away from all the drama. Lewis is thankful that Killian is letting him stay while he figures his life out. He then finds 2 kittens, and Killian is trying to do the right thing and then ends up with two more cats. It seemed like every time these two were turning around, another cat would show up. I enjoyed the bar scene when Killian stood up to a mean guy. I also liked how Killian and his friends had a movie night once a month. They accepted Lewis and considered him a friend real quick.

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, but I am a biased cat person.

[Adam Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. It’s a sweet and inoffensive tale but you could sum the whole book in a sentence - Killian and Lewis meet, find a load of abandoned cats and fall in love in the space of a month. Literally nothing else happens.

And because nothing happens we spend probably far too long in the head of the two characters and their neuroses. They’re not written particularly well either, and you can’t really feel the chemistry, but such is the way with these somewhat unrealistic cozy tales.

Don’t get me wrong - I didn’t dislike. Just needs to be taken as a light little palette cleanser.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love a Christmas romance and I am particularly fond of ones where dogs or cats have a role. If it is kittens and puppies -- sign me up. That's likely how this one ended up at some point on my Nook library and when I was looking for a kitten or puppy included Christmas romance to read, this cover and title immediately caught my eye. It's a keeper - yes I do keep those I really enjoy to read again in the future. I've a small collection of favorites.

This is a bit different though as it's a M/M romance, and contemporary (I tend to trend historical for my Christmas romances). I absolutely loved it! Killian is in his mid-30s and didn't come out until after a stint or two in the army..is a bar tender in Sacramento and a bit of a loner. He is an excellent bartender living in Sacramento, a bit of a loner who thinks he's a old fish but is the most kind generous caring person around. Lewis is the younger brother of Killian's upstairs neighbor. He's a recent grad with a masters degree in software design and something of a genius. He's cute blond and outgoing. One night he's hanging in Killian's bar playing darts by himself as he waits for his brother, who's spending some quality time with his girlfriend in his one bedroom apartment, to text that it is safe to come home. Killian, hearing the story, offers him his couch for the night since both agree that Lewis' brother no doubt has fallen asleep forgetting about his brother. Once the bar closes, they are walking home when Lewis hears 'mew' and discovers a box with 2 kittens needing rescue. And off we go. Kittens and Lewis camp out in Killian's tiny apartment, Killian finds he loves kittens, and might just love Lewis. Lewis is of course beyond attracted to Killian, but all these kittens keep appearing and homes need to be found. *SIGH* it was just lovely.

There are plenty of side characters - not just the dozen kittens mentioned in the title but a whole community, mostly M/M but also some hetero, that apparently feature in various series by the author, and I enjoyed them enough that I might look out their stories, even without kittens being involved. As for the kittens, you have to meet Boris and Natasha, and of course Moose and Squirrel. They are the first to be rescued, are absolutely adorable, and steal every scene they are in.

Lastly, there is absolutely romance but also smut. And it was better written and in some ways hotter than most hetero romances seem to provide. Plus it never lost the romance.

[... · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very, very sweet and a whole lot of fun. Lewis is everything wonderful in the world 🥰

This was also well on its way to being a 5☆ feel-good Christmas read for me... until we got to close to the end and the love story I was here for got crowded off the page a hot second by a bunch of shoe-horned-in cameos from the author's other books.

Granted, I haven't read those other books, but even before the "Easter egg" afterward she included, I could tell that's what it was... but right in the middle of all Lewis and Killian's cuteness, it was a cold splat of too many names and character descriptions that were not otherwise relevant to the story, plopped right in the middle of the warm fuzzies and taking me out of the groove.

Maybe - maybe - the author's hardcore fans who've binged her whole catalog might have gotten a kick out of that section, but to me, it was definitely distracting and a total info dump that I could have done without.

Despite that, though - and even with the EXCESSIVE repetition of how not-a-cold-fish Killian was from Lewis's pov (seriously, we get it, it doesn't have to be restated every few paragraphs for half the book 🙄) - this was just as delightful of a feel-good Christmas story as I was hoping for. Probably not a future re-read, but I'm also not sad I bought it. 🎄

[Kilby Blades · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this fun Christmas story! Killian is an ex-military loner who has found his place far away from home in Sacramento. He's a bartender who is content, if not somewhat solitary, in his small world among his small group of friends.

Lewis is also a California transplant, albeit a more recent one, who has left Texas for *reasons* and is looking for a job in his new state. As a skilled software developer, he has prospects. As he finds his legs, he's been crashing on his brother's couch. Said brother is Killian's neighbor. When Lewis is giving his brother space one night so his brother can host a date, Lewis asks if he can crash with Killian for a night.

On said night, the two are walking home from the bar when they hear a sound: a kitten. Two abandoned kittens, as it turns out. Becoming unwitting pet parents thoroughly throws them together. Instead of a casual couch crash, they are suddenly together at pet stores and veterinarians caring for the kittens together, and in the process, falling in love.

P.S. You may have noticed that the title says "12 Kittens of Christmas". After the first two, there are more kittens: a lot more. The way the other ten kittens come into their life is part of the sweetness and the comedy. This is a great read at any time of year. Five stars!